Josey Garcia
Josey Garcia is an American politician serving in the Texas [House of Representatives], representing Texas's 124th [House of Representatives district] since 2023. She is a member of the Democratic Party, and serves as the first active-duty woman veteran to serve in the Texas House of Representatives.
Biography
As a child, Garcia lived with multiple families across the country as a foster child. At the age of 16, she enlisted in the United States Air Force through the Delayed Entry Program.Garcia is a cofounder of Uniting America Outreach, a non-profit organization based in San Antonio that delivers food and supplies to people in need. During Winter Storm Uri in 2021, Uniting America Outreach delivered over 9,000 meals to vulnerable San Antonio residents. The organization raised over $50,000 for food, clothing, and hygiene products to be delivered to Ciudad Acuña, Mexico during the crisis at the border in 2022.
Military career
In 1996, she entered the service at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas after graduating high school. She served in deployments to Cameroon, and Iraq, where she served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. She later served at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, before retiring after twenty years of service in 2014Texas House of Representatives
In 2022, incumbent Democratic Representative Ina Minjarez announced her decision to run for Bexar County judge. Garcia won the Democratic Primary for the open seat and faced Republican Johnny Arredondo in the general election. She won the election with 67% of the vote.Garcia was reelected in 2024, defeating Sylvia Soto with 61.5% of the vote.
In her first legislative session, Garcia authored 39 and joint-authored 175 bills. Of these, 30 were signed into law, including:
- The Vanessa Guillen Day Act, which designated September 30 as Vanessa Guillen Day in the State of Texas to honor her service, and break the silence on military sexual violence.
- HB 4333 which ensured that the Reflejo Court in Bexar County, which allows first-time offenders of domestic violence who also struggle with substance abuse to enter a rigorous program which promotes accountability and treatment, can continue its work for four additional years.
- SB 1930 which increased the standards for courts, attorneys, and child advocates of foster children to ensure that each placement is meeting the needs of the individual child and that fewer children are being placed in facilities that have higher rates of abuse.
- SB 252 which allows veterans who are legal permanent residents to serve as peace officers in their communities.